Our Beneficiaries

EWI empowers low-income and unemployed immigrant and refugee women, often isolated and overlooked by our system, to integrate into the community and participate in the economy.

Both because of their gender and status as newcomers, immigrant and refugee women face many hurdles including cultural and social isolation, lack of confidence, low self-esteem, unemployment, and depression.

These barriers prevent them from integrating into their communities, improving English language fluency, earning better paying jobs, and becoming engaged and productive citizens.

These women also have to contend with the fact that because they are often educated, well-trained, and speak multiple languages they don’t fit the standard image of “impoverished populations.” Despite these considerable assets they find themselves in dire circumstances, and are often unable to employ these skills to their own advantage, and to our community and economic benefit. All of these obstacles serve to make them seemingly invisible, and increase their likelihood of falling through the cracks.